One of the benefits of self-hosting is that you don't have to rely on cloud subscriptions to back up your data or get locked into specific services. This has cost-saving benefits, but also keeps your data under your control. I currently back up my images and videos to an Immich server hosted on my NAS, along with saving daily backups of my desktop PC.

However, despite having my own personal cloud storage, I still subscribe to Google One and plan to use the service for the foreseeable future. So why would I opt to continue paying for a subscription that has always been a grudge purchase for me? There are a few things that keep me tied to it...

Google One has a major benefit over my NAS

I can access it from anywhere

Even though I have been self-hosting different services since the start of the year, I still consider myself a newbie. As such, I've been taking my time with setting up services on my main PC and NAS — and I haven't exposed any of these services to the wider internet.

This means that I can only access my services from my home network. This works fine for my desktop backups and my Immich server, but it means that I still rely on Google One for certain documents and images I want to be able to access from anywhere.

For example, when I'm working while traveling, I use Google Docs on my laptop and smartphone to write down notes and start working on article drafts. In Google Drive, I also store certain documents that I frequently reference or download while away from home.

I plan to set up Tailscale to access my NAS remotely, but first want to ensure I'm familiar with any risks I need to plan for when exposing these services. I also want to make sure that my solution is reliable over time. For example, I'll need to set up a way to reset my router when I'm away from home in case my network experiences issues that require a reboot.

I still need to figure out an off-premises backup

This involves quite a bit of research

If you're familiar with the 3-2-1 backup rule, you'll know that this involves having a backup at another location. Currently, my backups are all hosted at my apartment, meaning that if there is a fire, I may very well lose my backups even if they are on different devices.

To make an off-location backup as convenient as possible, many people opt for a cloud service anyway. I want to look into a cloud service provider that is secure and convenient, but for now, Google One remains the most convenient option. The fact that Google One has prices adjusted to my region also means that I don't have to deal with an ever-fluctuating exchange rate. Many other cloud services, however, use euros or dollars for their plans.

I'm on Google One's most cost-effective plan

The low-cost means I'm not in a rush

Of the paid Google One plans, I'm on the cheapest: the $1.99 per month Basic plan. I currently use around 52GB of my 100GB allowance, meaning it will still be quite some time before I need to upgrade to a higher tier.

The cost of the Basic plan is low enough that it's more of a nuisance rather than a major expense. It's lower than my Spotify and Netflix subscriptions, and miles away from the cost of a Microsoft 365 subscription.

My plan is to completely move away from a paid Google One account before I need to upgrade to a higher tier. After all, I don't really use any of the AI tools that come with my subscription. Most of my storage allocation is taken up by my Google Photos account, which is why I've prioritized using Immich.

I will still need to use Google One for my WhatsApp backups and Gmail, but once I've fully moved away from my Photos account, I will have more than enough free storage available to keep Gmail, Google Drive, and my WhatsApp backups working.

I did consider moving to Proton Drive in the meantime, but currently, it costs more than double what Google One costs me monthly. Since I'm trying to keep my budget under control, I'd rather not subscribe to a more expensive service even though it comes with other benefits.

I need to make my personal cloud more robust before moving from Google One

Moving away from Google One is not impossible, and I've started taking the steps needed to do this. However, I don't want to rush the process and end up with an unreliable, insecure solution. Taking my time also allows me to learn from others and read up on any potential disasters waiting to happen.

Right now, Google One is a fail-safe as I learn more about self-hosting. Over time, I'll be able to rely on it less and less. It's not the dramatic shift I wanted when it came to de-Googling my life, but it is one that works for me.